CORNYN GOES TO COURT TO ENFORCE CHILD SUPPORT

AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General John Cornyn appeared today in the San Antonio
courtroom of Judge James Rausch to prosecute noncustodial parents who owe child support.

In these cases, the noncustodial parents have repeatedly failed to pay their court-ordered child
support. As a result of the hearings, the delinquent parents must pay a portion of the child
support due today, return to pay a portion of the child support due on a date set by the court or go
to jail.

"I am here today because I want Texans to know I am serious about enforcing child support. My
staff and I will make every effort to see that families receive the child support they are due," said
Attorney General Cornyn.

"We are careful to differentiate between dead beat and dead broke parents. Non-custodial parents
lacking the means to earn a living and pay child support are dead broke. We will refer
cooperative dead broke parents to job training and employment programs. On the other hand,
dead beat parents have the financial resources to fulfill their responsibilities for their children,
but refuse to do so," said Cornyn.

In the last two years, collections have increased from $757 million in State Fiscal Year (SFY)
1998 to $868 million in SFY 1999 to $1.029 billion in SFY 2000 - a 36% increase in only two
years. The $161 million increase from SFY 1999 to SFY 2000 is the largest dollar increase in
child support collections in the history of the Texas program. This follows the previous year's
record increase of $111 million.

Civil measures such as income withholding, interception of income tax returns and license
suspension may also be used to compel compliance with child support court orders. Parents
failing to comply with a court order can also be incarcerated for six months for contempt of
court. Once civil remedies have been exhausted, they can also be prosecuted on a felony charge
with a maximum prison sentence of two years, if convicted.

The Office of the Attorney General vigorously pursues parents violating court orders to pay child
support. San Antonio area residents with information about delinquent noncustodial parents or
other child support issues should contact the Office of the Attorney General by phone (1-210-841-8450),
email (childsupport@texasattorneygeneral.gov), mail - Office of the Attorney General, Child
Support Division, P.O. Box 12017, Austin, TX 78711-2017 or by visiting the Attorney General's
website www.oag.state.tx.us.